Six month old stopped laying

[amanda1]

i don’t know whether or not I should be concerned. My hen , along with two other of the same age started laying at about four and a half months old. We had a hot spell and my barred rock appeared to really be suffering from the heat. Her comb flopped over and she stopped laying. It has cooled off but she’s still not laying. It’s been at least a month since she laid. Her comb is looking better, still red, she’s still squatting for me, but no eggs. Should I be concerned?

 

[azygous]

The heat may have been coincidental and not really related to this issue. Or it created stress that the chickens haven't been able to recover from. Hard to say.

Diet can play a role in laying. Parasite infestations play a role. (Internal and external) Illness can affect laying. And decreasing seasonal light will affect laying, although many new layers will be unaffected by this latter.

Check for mites in the coop after dark. Look at the poop of your chickens for signs of worms. Check the feed to treats ratio and see that the latter aren't overdone. Electrolytes and probiotics might help them return to normal health following the heat stress.

 

[cmom]

The birds in one of my coops suddenly stopped laying. I was getting around a dozen eggs then nothing. I put a camera out there to see if anything was getting the eggs or if they just stopped laying. They are starting to go through their yearly molt so I do expect fewer eggs.

 

[amanda1]

The birds in one of my coops suddenly stopped laying. I was getting around a dozen eggs then nothing. I put a camera out there to see if anything was getting the eggs or if they just stopped laying. They are starting to go through their yearly molt so I do expect fewer eggs.

My hen isn’t old enough to molt yet. And, I just confirmed this week with a vet that we don’t have worms.

 

[cmom]

During the pullets first year they go through several molts.

 

[slordaz]

not sure who told you they aren't old enough to molt yet but they most certainly are old enough to molt

 

[chickens really]

Are they free ranged because she possibly is laying eggs outside of the Coop.

 

[amanda1]

not sure who told you they aren't old enough to molt yet but they most certainly are old enough to molt

I thought they didn’t molt again until 18 months. Anyway, it doesn’t appear that she’s molting. So many things have gone wrong with my chickens this year, maybe I’m over worrying, but it just doesn’t seem normal from my experience.

 

[slordaz]

Relax and enjoy them after this one it will only be once a year they molt lol

 

[chickens really]

Depends on location actually how often a Chicken molts and young birds molt a couple of times before they go a year or more before a hard molt..